


Adora, Save Your Love

by Dame_Dulces



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Adora, Drunkenness, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Human Catra (She-Ra), Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Longing, Not a nip slip but close call, Original Character (sort of) - Freeform, Swearing, Taking care of a drunk person, Yearning, tiddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22994881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dame_Dulces/pseuds/Dame_Dulces
Summary: Catra never liked Adora's boyfriend, but can she save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 147





	Adora, Save Your Love

Catra gripped the sticky leather of the wheel and exhaled sharply, trying to focus her attention on the dimly lit street she was about to turn down. It was a little difficult, though, with Adora hanging off her shoulder and hollering like a baby monkey. The brunette struggled to concentrate as the smell of cheap tequila and floral perfume wafted through the air, threatening to gag her.

“Catraaaaaa!” Adora exclaimed as she stumbled through her sentence, slurring each word as it dripped from her rose red lips. “You’re not taking me HOME yet, are you?!”

Her unenthusiastic driver frowned, making a left turn down a familiar street.

“You’re sloshed, Adora,” she stated matter-of-factly. “And it’s way past bar close. There’s nowhere else to go.”

“Come ooooon… you’re no fuuuuuun...” the blonde’s head fell into her lap, causing Catra to gasp upon the sudden contact. She squirmed around, trying to find a comfortable position, which almost made the driver lose her composure and drive them head first into a grove of trees nearby.

“I’m not ready for bed yet! Can’t we go back to Marshall’s?”

Hearing that name slip past her beautiful lips again made Catra cringe. 

“We were literally just there,” Her grip on the wheel tightened, causing her to dig her plum-colored acrylic nails into the palms of her hands. “The party’s over. You almost threw up in his bathroom after taking three jello shots, and now I am bringing you home.”

Adora groaned obnoxiously, and Catra was caught between pushing her off and letting her stay so she could enjoy the warmth of her, for just a bit longer.

“Noooooo… let’s just drive past his house one more time! Pleeeeeeease!!”

“Adora, no. I’m about to pull into your driveway.”

“Please?”

“I said _no_.”

“Please please please please please-”

“Oh my god, fine! But after that we’re going straight home!”

Adora popped back up with a celebratory cry, which made her unwilling driver roll her eyes once again. She pulled her Subaru into the nearest driveway and turned around, bracing herself for another long journey.

  
  


~~~~~

  
  


Her companion had been eerily quiet for the last ten minutes or so. She glanced at her passenger from the corner of her eye, taking care not to turn her head lest Adora noticed she was being watched. The blonde beauty was staring out of the window with her chin in one hand, watching the houses drift by as their ride continued on. Her face was painted with warm colors that complimented the peachy tones of her skin; rosy lips saddled in a perpetual pout, round cheeks glistened with gold tinted highlighter, soft baby blue eyes outlined with a harsh jet black gel that smudged lightly at the corners. A strange look for a girl who used to wear cherry chapstick as her only beauty accessory.

Someone who didn’t know better would have said the girl looked bored. But Catra was wiser than that. 

“Hey, you doin’ alright?”

Adora turned to her and flashed a bright, empty smile.

“Yeeeeeep! Never been better!!”

Both sleeves of her red off-shoulder crop top slipped down her elbow, almost causing her entire chest to spill out. The blonde looked down and sputtered out a wheezy laugh when she realized what was happening.

“Oh noooooo… my tiddies are falling OUT! Look, Catra! My _tiddies_!!”

It took every ounce of her willpower not to do so much as glance over. Heat pooled in the apples of her cheeks and stayed there longer than she wished it would. Catra’s eyes fixated on the road. She dared not look lest she be mocked for all eternity.

“Trying to drive here.”

“Whassa matter, do you _like_ them?”

“... What? N, no! Just shut up!!”

“Oooooh how embarrassing for you! You _like_ them! You wanna see moooore!!”

Catra shoved her shoulder a little aggressively, but that didn’t stop Adora from cackling. She grumbled something under her breath, but her companion didn’t seem to catch on. Her chortles died down to giggles, and after a few more moments the silence returned. 

Finally, about three minutes from Marshall’s house, Adora piped up again.

“Hey... do you think I’m pretty?”

The brunette pressed her lips together, carefully considering her next words.

“Yeah, of course.”

_You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever known._

“Why do I kept getting left on read then? Is there something wrong with me?”

_Because Marshall’s a fucking idiot that doesn’t know what he’s missing out on._

“Maybe because you keep leaving him sloppy voicemails.”

“Shut up! I’m being serious!”

_I’m being serious. He doesn’t know what he’s missing._

“I’m being serious. It does come off a little desperate.”

Adora slumped down in her seat, staring down at her straps on her high heels. Normally Catra would have ignored her childish pouting, but this time she seemed genuinely sad. And when she heard Adora’s next words, it nearly broke her heart.

“Why doesn’t anyone ever want me?”

_I want you. You’re all I’ve ever wanted._

“Stop worrying about that stuff so much. Who cares what some stupid guy thinks, anyway.”

Before Adora could retort, Catra put the car into park. The two of them looked at the house on their right. There were only two cars in the driveway, and most of the lights were off. Except for the one in the top right room.

“See? Party’s over. Can we please go home now? I’m tir-”

“What are they doing?”

Catra saw the blonde staring at the upper right window. She looked a little closer herself, and the sight made her stomach twist with rage and malice.

He was pressed against the window, lips locked with another woman that Catra didn’t recognize. Two sets of hands explored every part of the other’s body, and Adora was witness to it all.

A few moments was enough. Adora hid her face in her hands, breathing deeply as the melancholy took hold of her body.

“Adora…”

Catra reached out a comforting hand, but pulled back. Self doubt and hesitation had taken control.

Her friend sniffled, wiping away the first of many tears to come. 

“We can go now. I’m sorry for making you drive all the way back.”

Catra wanted nothing more than to hold her until the tears stopped falling, to run her fingers through her hair and place her lips against every inch of her lovely face until she knew how beautiful she was. All these years spent chasing after Adora, settling with the title of “best friend”, waiting for the chance to confess the feelings that had plagued her chest since their earliest days in this world had led to this. For a moment, the words she yearned to speak rested on the edge of her mouth, begging to be released. 

She almost let them out. Almost.

But instead, she put her car back into drive and banished those desires from her mind.

  
  


~~~~~

  
  


Catra wondered why things had turned out this way. After all this time.

She sat cross legged with her back against the living room wall with Adora’s head nestled comfortably in her lap. Frizzy blonde haired sprawled across her legs; she noticed some of the tiny strands twisted in fairy knots near the ends and made a mental note to try and brush them out later. Adora’s mascara-stained cheeks were still hot to touch as Catra gently caressed her thumb across them, wiping away the black streams one at a time. Tears leaked from her closed eyes, still heavy with sorrow despite her desperate attempts to drown them.

This is what their Saturday nights had become ever since Marshall had come into the picture. No matter what the premise was, the ending was always the same. And Catra was powerless to change the narrative.

She hated seeing her like this. Adora, the gifted one. The star child. The girl that always did the right thing. She was the last person who deserved this. But her stubbornness had trapped her in a never ending cycle of misery. Even Catra couldn’t pull her out now.

All she could do was be there. And that was what she did.

She prayed that sleep had mercifully graced her heartbroken friend. Her chest fell up and down in a slow, rhythmic pattern, and she hadn’t said a word since they’d gotten into this position, so Catra hoped that was the case. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Adora’s phone lit up with a notification, which awakened her from her fitful slumber. She sat up, reaching for her phone with one hand while wiping away the residual tears with the other. She typed out something furiously, then stared at the white screen for several seconds.

“What’s up?” Catra inquired.

“It’s Marshall.”

Icy hot rage struck through Catra’s heart once more.

“What did he say.”

“He’s breaking up with me.”

Catra released some of her tension. Her fists unclenched, deep indents from her nails on the palms of her hands. She gazed at Adora, watching her carefully to observe her next move. Her eyes were puffy and red and looked weary from exhaustion and drunkenness.

“I know!! I just need to call him, set things straight-”

“Adora, no!”

“It’s okay! I can fix this! I just- hey!”

Without thinking, Catra seized her phone and held it at arm’s length. A dark expression plastered across her face.

“No. I’m not going to let you do this. Not again.”

Adora fought back, but her lack of coordination meant that efforts were unsuccessful.

“Give it back!”

“Why do you care so much about him, anyway? He’s just some stupid guy!”

“No, he’s not!”

“What has he ever done for you? Besides make you cry? He’s a piece of shit, Adora! And you’re stupid if you think you’re special enough to change him!”

“Stop! Just, stop!”

“No! I won’t! I can’t just sit here and watch you keep getting screwed over!”

“Why do you even care if I’m so stupid?”

“Because I love yo-”

Both of them froze in place. Catra’s words felt heavy and dense. Her hair fell over her face, hiding the desolate look in her eyes. Adora, wide-eyed and still in shock, finally broke through the awkwardness.

“Catra…”

“Whatever. You clearly don’t need or want me, so fine. Go ahead and call him again.”

She stood up and headed towards the front door, shoving her unsocked feet into her black leather boots.

“Catra, wait-!”

But Catra was already gone. She slammed the door behind her without bothering to look back.

  
  


~~~~~

  
  


Onwards she drove, into the inky darkness of night, with only the occasional street light as a guide. Her hands shook as she made each turn, her vehicle driving her farther and farther away from the girl she loved.

She didn’t know where she was going. Her apartment was in the opposite direction, and she didn’t feel like going back to an empty home. She just kept turning, right and left, until she realized she had been going around in circles for almost an hour.

_How could I be so stupid?_

_She’d never love me back. Not in that way._

_She left me for Marshall. I’m just her backup plan when things go wrong._

_I know this. It’s always been like this. I’m okay with this._

_So why do I keep wishing things would be different?_

Her mind raced quicker than the gauge on her speedometer, so eventually she pulled over to the side of the road and took the keys out of the ignition. She laid her head on the steering wheel and let out one last sigh, releasing all of the air from her lungs. 

She thought about Adora, sitting at home with only her thoughts to keep her company. Marshall wasn’t going to answer her calls or texts. Not until tomorrow, anyway. He was clearly occupied. Adora didn’t realize that, though. She’d be up until god knows what time, just waiting and hoping for something. Some sign that she was important and loved. A sign that would never come.

Catra had left her. She was alone. Waiting for no one.

She couldn’t leave her like that. Not with the way things ended. Even if it meant sacrificing her own feelings… Adora at least deserved to be happy.

The brunette raised her head. She grabbed her keys, turning the car back on, and made one swift U-turn. She retraced her steps, blowing past dark houses and blinking street lamps with the last of the evening stars twinkling brightly overhead, as if to cheer her on. Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty, until she finally she neared her destination.

“Hold on, Adora. I’m a block away.”

  
  


~~~~~

  
  


Pointed leather boots clambered loudly on the creaky wooden steps leading to Adora’s front door. So much for being stealthy. The entire block could practically hear her approaching.

Catra ran her talons through her messy hair and let out another deep sigh. There was no getting used to this sort of thing for her. But she had to at least try.

She paused for a second when she reached the door, still shaking from anticipation.

She took another deep breath, then let it out as she raised one fist.

**Knock knock knock.**

No answer. Adora probably passed out after she left. Fair enough.

Catra began to turn around, but stopped when the door finally opened. Adora stood in front of her, bare-faced and beautiful as ever. The baby blues of her eyes fell upon Catra, the sadness from earlier melting away little by little. The brunette fumbled over her words, coughing as some of them were caught in her throat, until she finally managed to spit out:

“Hey, I’m sorry-”

Her apology was cut short. Adora wrapped her arms around her waist and buried herself into her chest.

“I’m so sorry… you were right about everything… I’m such an idiot…”

Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed into Catra’s shirt. Even now, feeling her warmth pressed against her like this felt… right. 

Catra pulled her in closer, wrapping both arms around her small frame, softly stroking the back of her head as she ran her fingers through golden locks. As the sun began to peek from over the horizon, the two of them were covered in the marmalade light of dawn. They stood there quietly, embracing one another until the morning sky had finally made itself known.

When Adora’s sobs died down, Catra lifted her face with one hand and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Adora smiled, leaning into her chest once again, returning the favor with a flurry of small kisses down the center of her chest.

She could have sworn she heard Catra purring.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read this far, thank you! This is the first thing I've ever written for the She-Ra fandom, and the first one-shot fanfiction I've written in months, so apologies if they're a bit out of character. I'm a little rusty! I was inspired by Allie X & Mitski's song "Susie Save Your Love" and wanted to write a mini story based on the lyrics. I thought it was fitting for the Catradora dynamic, and I also self-projected a little bit since it reminds me of my crush and I. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and thanks again for reading!


End file.
